Popping kettle assembly

ABSTRACT

An improved popping kettle assembly includes a kettle chamber and a lid that are releasably engageable with each other upon relative movement of the chamber and lid. The kettle chamber has a series of projections formed on an upper edge, and the lid has a series of relieved areas that are adapted to cooperate with the projections on the chamber. Preferably, the projections are a series of tabs and the relieved areas are a series of slots formed through the thickness of the lid. The slots in the lid are first placed in registration with the tabs on the kettle chamber, and the lid is then rotated relative to the kettle chamber to establish a reliable engagement between the chamber and lid.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/037,774, filed Mar.10, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,801.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to corn popping apparatus and,more particularly, to an improved popping kettle assembly for use inpopcorn machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, it has been known to provide a popcorn kettle assemblyhaving a kettle chamber adapted to receive raw corn, oil and salt, and alid to cover the chamber during the popping operation. The kettlechamber is heated in a known manner to pop the popcorn within thechamber while the lid is secured to the chamber through fasteners toprevent the popcorn and from being released until the popping operationis completed. The lid may include a hinged portion that fully opens asthe volume of popped popcorn increases within the chamber. When thepopping operation is completed, the kettle assembly is clumped torelease the popped popcorn for service, and the process may then berepeated.

During the popping operation, the lid must be reliably secured to thekettle chamber. If the lid should pop off, the batch of popcorn andother ingredients is wasted and, more seriously, hot oil may splatterfrom the heated kettle and injure those in the vicinity of the popcornmachine.

To substantially eliminate this possibility, it has been known to usefasteners, such as latches, spring clips, wing nuts and the like, tofirmly secure the lid to the kettle chamber. While these and otherfasteners have served their purpose of securing the lid to the kettlechamber, they have several drawbacks.

From a safety standpoint, the fasteners may loosen during the poppingoperation and become commingled with the popped popcorn within thekettle. If this occurrence goes unnoticed by the serving attendants, thefastener component may be served to a customer in the bag or box ofpopped popcorn. From a health standpoint, the fasteners generally becomecontaminated over time with the oil and seasonings used in the poppingoperation. While the kettle and lid are cleaned on a regular basis, itis possible that the fasteners may not receive the same attention orcare. Additionally, the loose fasteners must be handled separately fromthe kettle chamber and lid, thereby adding to the time and stepsrequired to assemble and disassemble the popping kettle assembly.

Accordingly, it is has been an objective of the present invention toprovide an improved popcorn kettle assembly that reliably and safelysecures the kettle lid to the kettle chamber. A further objective of thepresent invention has been to provide an improved popcorn kettleassembly that may be easily assembled, disassembled and cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncontemplates an improved popping kettle assembly that eliminates loosefasteners for establishing an engagement between the kettle chamber andthe lid. In accordance with the present invention, the kettle chamberand lid are releasably engageable with each other solely upon relativemovement of the chamber and the lid. More particularly, the kettleassembly includes a kettle chamber having a bottom and a side wallextending upwardly from the bottom. A series of projections, preferablyin the form of tabs, are formed on or adjacent an upper circumferentialedge of the side wall. Each of the tabs preferably includes a lugportion having a longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to theupper edge of the side wall. Each of the tabs has a notch portion thatis formed between a lower edge of the lug portion and the upper edge ofthe kettle side wall.

The kettle lid includes a series of relieved areas, preferably in theform of slots, formed adjacent a circumferential edge of the lid. Theslots of the lid are adapted to cooperate with the tabs of the kettlechamber so that the lid is releasably engaged in the notch portions ofthe tabs when the lid is slightly rotated on the top of the kettlechamber.

It will be appreciated that the formation of projections and relievedareas on the kettle chamber and lid, respectively, provides a reliableand safe engagement of the lid and kettle chamber that eliminates theloose fasteners heretofore required in known popcorn kettle assemblies.Moreover, the projections and relieved areas of the present inventionprovide an improved kettle assembly that eliminates the health andsafety concerns associated with popping kettle assemblies of the priorart.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present inventionshall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and thedescription thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an improved popping kettle inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a kettle lid releasably engaged on thekettle lid illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2showing assembly

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a side elevationalview of an improved popping kettle assembly 10 in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention for use in a conventional popcornmachine. As will be described in detail below, kettle assembly 10includes a kettle chamber 12 and a kettle lid 14 that are particularlyconstructed to releasably engage each other upon relative movement ofthe kettle chamber 12 and lid 14. The cooperating engagement of thekettle chamber 12 and lid 14 in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention eliminates loose fastening components, such as clips,wing nuts, latches and the like, that were heretofore required toestablish a reliable engagement between the kettle chamber and lid inknown prior art popping kettle assemblies.

Further referring to FIG. 1, the kettle chamber 12 preferably has anannular side wall 16 that includes a rear portion 18, a lower frontportion 20, and an intermediate inclined portion 22 formed between therear and front portions 18, 20. Rear portion 18 has a peripheral edge26a, while lower front portion has a peripheral edge 26b. Theintermediate inclined portion 22 provides an inclined edge or step 26con an upper circumferential edge of the kettle assembly 10 which isdefined by edges 26a-26c. An inwardly directed flange 28 is formed alonga bottom edge 30 of the annular side wall 16. A kettle bottom 32 iswelded or otherwise joined to the side wall 16, and includes a generallyplanar bottom wall 34 and a conical side wall 36 that terminates in anupstanding annular wall 38.

While not shown, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatheaters are positioned beneath and in contact with the bottom wall 34 toheat the kettle chamber 12 during a popping operation. The bottom wall34 includes an aperture (not shown) to accommodate the shaft of anagitator (not shown) positioned in the kettle chamber 12 to stir rawcorn, oil and salt that is charged in the kettle assembly 10.

As best understood with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 14preferably has a rear portion 40, an inclined intermediate portion 42,and a front portion 44. Lid 14 is dimensioned to substantially cover anopening defined by the upper circumferential edge 26 of the kettlechamber 12 when the lid 14 is positioned on the upper edge 26. The frontand inclined intermediate portions 44, 42 of lid 14 preferably havedownturned ears or flanges 46 that close against the uppercircumferential edge 26 of the kettle chamber 12. While not shown, itwill be appreciated that lid 14 may include a kettle funnel to directpumped oil into the kettle assembly 10 during a popping operation.

As is well known in the art, the front and inclined intermediateportions 44, 42 of lid 14 are pivotally connected along hinge 48 to therear portion 40 of the lid 14. A counterbalance weight (not shown) issecured to the inclined intermediate portion 42 of lid 14 through acounterbalance arm 50. As slight upward pressure is applied to the frontportion 44 of lid 14 by popped popcorn expanding in the kettle chamber12, the counterbalance weight is moved to an overbalanced position tocause the front and inclined portions 44, 42 of lid 14 to swing to afully open position.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the kettle assembly 10 includes a series ofspaced projections, preferably in the form of tabs 52, that arepreferably formed on the upper circumferential edge 26 of the kettlechamber 12. More particularly, the tabs 52 are formed on the peripheraledge 26a of the kettle rear portion 18. As shown most clearly in FIG. 3,each of the tabs 52 includes a vertically oriented leg portion 54 thatis integrally connected to a lug portion 56. Each lug portion 56 has alongitudinal axis 58 oriented generally parallel to the upper edge 26 ofthe kettle chamber 12. The free ends 60 of lug portions 56 arepreferably rounded, and include lower inclined edges 62 and edges 64that terminate adjacent the leg portions 54. The lower edges 62, 64 oflug portions 56 form notch portions 66 with the upper edge 26 of thekettle chamber 12. Preferably, six tabs 52 are formed on the upper edge26 of the kettle chamber 12 as shown most clearly in FIG. 2.

As best understood with reference to FIG. 2, the lid 14 has a series ofrelieved areas, preferably in the form of spaced slots 68, that areformed through the thickness of the lid 14. The slots 68 are positionedadjacent a circumferential edge 70 of the rear lid portion 40, and eachslot 68 has a length dimension which is preferably as great as thelength dimension of the tabs 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear lidportion 40 is adapted to be placed on the peripheral edge 26a of thekettle's rear portion 18 by registering and inserting tabs 52 throughrespective slots 68 formed in the rear lid portion 40. With the rear lidportion 40 resting on the peripheral edge 26a, and the front andintermediate lid portions 44, 42 at least partially raised, the lid 14and kettle chamber 12 are moved relative to each other, showndiagrammatically by arrow 72 in FIG. 3, to cause the rear lid portion 40to be releasably engaged between the lug portions 56 and the upper edge26 of kettle chamber 12. The engagement formed between the kettlechamber 12 and lid 14 prevents upward movement of lid 14 as the volumeof popped popcorn increases in the kettle assembly 10 during a poppingoperation. Preferably, six slots 68 are formed in the lid 14 as shownmost clearly in FIG. 2, with each slot 68 preferably having a midpointthat is offset about 3° relative to a centerline of each respective tab52. By placing the lid 14 on the upper edge 26 of kettle chamber 12, andthen rotating the lid 14 relative to the kettle chamber 12 through asmall angular movement, a reliable, yet releasable engagement isestablished between the lid 14 and the kettle chamber 12.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the formation of the projections andrelieved areas on the kettle chamber and lid, respectively, providereleasable engagement of the lid 14 and kettle chamber 12 to replace theloose fasteners heretofore required in known popcorn kettle assemblies.Moreover, the projections and relieved areas of the present inventioneliminate the health and safety concerns associated with popping kettleassemblies of the prior art.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description ofvarious embodiments and while these embodiments have been described inconsiderable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants torestrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to suchdetail.

For example, it is contemplated that the projections may be formed asnon-integral components that are secured on or adjacent the uppercircumferential edge 26 of the kettle chamber 12. It is alsocontemplated in an alternative embodiment that the components could bereversed, with the relieved areas formed in association with the kettlechamber 12, and the projections formed in association with the lid 14.Moreover, the configuration of the projections and relieved areas may bechanged so long as a reliable and releasable engagement is establishedbetween the lid 14 and kettle chamber 12 upon relative movement of thecomponents. The cooperation of the projections and relieved areas of thepresent invention are readily adaptable to a wide variety of kettleassembly designs. Additional advantages and modifications will readilyappear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspectsis therefore not limited to the specific details, representativeapparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described.Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departingfrom the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved popping kettle assembly comprisingthe combination of:a kettle chamber for receiving popcorn kernels andhaving a bottom and a side wall extending upwardly from said bottom; aplurality of projections formed adjacent an upper edge of said sidewall; and a lid having a first portion and a second portion, the secondportion being pivotably coupled with said first portion to pivot andallow contents of the kettle chamber to escape when the kettle chamberis tilted and when the popcorn kernels pop and expand above the upperedge of the side wall, the lid further having a plurality of relievedareas positioned in said first portion and adapted to receive saidprojections and releasably secure said lid first portion with saidkettle chamber by cooperation between the projections and relievedareas, the lid second portion remaining free to pivot when the lid firstportion is secured.
 2. The improved popping kettle assembly of claim 1wherein said projections comprise a plurality of tabs formed along theupper edge of said side wall.
 3. The improved popping kettle assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said relieved areas comprise a plurality of slots formedadjacent a circumferential edge of said lid.
 4. The improved poppingkettle assembly of claim 2 wherein each of said tabs includes a lugportion having a longitudinal axis that extends generally parallel tothe upper edge of said side wall.
 5. The improved popping kettleassembly of claim 4 wherein each of said tabs includes a notch portionformed between a lower edge of said lug portion and the upper edge ofsaid side wall.
 6. The improved popping kettle assembly of claim 5wherein said lid is releasably engaged in said notch portions uponrelative movement of said lid and said side wall.
 7. The improvedpopping kettle assembly of claim 1 wherein said lid first portioncomprises a rear lid portion, and said lid second portion comprises anintermediate lid portion, and a front lid portion.
 8. An improvedpopping kettle assembly, comprising the combination of:a popping kettlechamber for receiving popcorn kernels; a lid having a first portion anda second portion which is pivotably coupled with said first portion topivot and allow contents of the kettle chamber to escape when the kettlechamber is tilted and when the popcorn kernels pop and expand above anupper edge of the kettle chamber; a plurality of projections associatedwith one of said kettle chamber and said lid first portion; and aplurality of relieved areas associated with the other of said kettlechamber and said lid first portion; said relieved areas being adapted toreceive said projections to releasably secure said lid first portionwith said kettle chamber by cooperation between the projections andrelieved areas, the second portion remaining free to pivot when the lidfirst portion is secured.